Pocket tobacco-can



R. S. LOSEE.

POCKET TOBACCO CAN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1,1921.

1,396,226. I Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

IN V E N TOR. FIZ'ZIEI'J 517055 A TTORNEYS.

RICHARD S. LOSEE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

rocker TOBACCO-CAN.

Application filed February 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. Losnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket Tobacco-Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pocket tobacco tins, and has for its object to provide an opening in the hinged cover of the tin, which is normally closed by novel and simple means, consisting of laterally movable gates or shutters, which are pivotally applied to the cover, and adapted to be spread apart in opposite directions laterally for uncovering the'opening, for allowing the tobacco to be poured out for filling pipes, or for rolling cigarettes, and the said gates arranged for tightly sealing the opening,

for preventing the accidental escape of the tobacco, as well as for excluding the air, which tends to dry out the tobacco.

The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by references to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tobacco can having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, showing the gates closed. Fig. 3 is a broken plan view, showing the gates open. Fig. 4: isa side elevation of the cover of the can, with parts broken away on line l-d in Fig. 2, to show the gates and the pivoting means. Fig. 5 is a view embracing the opposing gates. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view, showing a modified structurei In the drawing, 2 represents the body of the tobacco tin or can having an open top, which is closed by the usual cover 3. The top 3 of the cover is usually flat, and its outer margins are bent downwardly to form a substantially continuous depending flange 3, which telescopes the mouth of the can. At or near one end of the cover, the plane portion 3' is cut away to provide an opening 3, which is part circular to correspond to the shape of the cover, and through which the contents of the can may be poured. The flange 3 adjacent the opening 3* is provided with a horizontal slot 3, the said slot extending around the end, and on the opposite sides a considerable distance beyond the in ner margin of the opening. In the preferred Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 443,130.

form of my improvement,the opening 3 is closed and more or less tightly sealed by similar sheet metal gates or shutters 4 and The overlapping of the plates is provided formore securely and tightly closing the opening in the cover so as to prevent the accidental escape of the tobacco. This overlapping of the plates necessitates the disposing of the pivot 5 eccentric to the axis of the opening 3*, so that the gates when rotated back and forth on their common pivot, move in a circle, whose diameter is greater than the spacing of the lateral portions'of the flange 3. In order that the gates may be swung around to the open position, within the relatively narrow space between the flanges 3 I provide similar slots 4t through which the rivet 5 passes. By the provision of these slots, the inner ends of the gates may be forced toward each other when the gates are rotated from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3. In the latter view it will be seen that the rivet 5 is positioned at the opposite ends of the slots 4, as compared with the showing in Fig. 2. During the closing movements of the gates, their pivoted ends move in the opposite direction, and return to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The body of the gates and the portion 3 of the cover are all disposed in parallel planes, and by this construction and arrangement, the several parts may be made out of relatively thin sheet metal, and perform their work without danger of being bent or otherwise impaired. In practice, the smoker, preparatory to filling his pipe, places the ends of his thumb and index finger between the lugs 4 and then spreads the said lugs until the opening 3 is large enough to allow the free passage of the tobacco. When the pipe is filled, the thumb and finger are placed on the opposite edges of the lugs 4, and pressure exerted thereagainst for swinging the gates toward the closed position, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slight modification, which consists of a single gate 4 for closing the opening 3. The gate 4 is substantially like the other gates, and is pivoted by a rivet to one side of thelongitudinal center of the cover and its rear end is also provided with a slot 4, which allows the gate 4 to be rotated for opening and closing the aperture 3 the same as the gates l4. The gate 4 has a lug 4 which plays in a similar horizontal slot (not shown).

Having thllS'ClQSCIlbQCl my lnventlon, what I clalm, 1s

'1. T he combination with a pocket tobacco can, of a cover having aplane top skirted by 21 depending flange, the top having a pouring opening and the flange thereof having a slot, a pair of plane gates pivoted to the under side of said top'and havingsimilar portions which play in said slot, said gates being partially overlapped when in the closed position and their pivoted ends provided with slots by means of whichsaid gates may move toward and from each other during the opening and closing movements.

thereof, and lugs carried by said gates and slidable in the slot of said cover;

3. The combination with a tobacco box, of a telescoping cover for said box, the' top surface of said cover having a pouring opening near one end and the depending flanges of the cover being provided with a horizontal slotadjacent said opening, a pair of gates pivoted to said top eccentric to the axis of said opening adapted to be rotated in opposite directions for covering and un covering said opening,land each of'said gates having an operating lug disposed in said slot, which serves to guide and to stop the movements of said gates; r

4. A tobacco'box having a cover provided with a pouring opening near one end and a longitudinal: slot in the flange below said opening, saidslot being parallel to the top surfaceof thecover,'a plurality of gates disp'osedparallel to the top surface of said cover and pivoted to said top at a point 'eccentric to the axis of saidopening, said gates partially overlapping each otherand rotatable in opposite directions laterally for uncoverlng said" opening, sald gates having reduced portions slidably disposed in said slots and'having upturned ends for limiting any'rotary movements or" said gates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. RICHARD b. LOSEE. 

